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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The bugs inside of you

Although it seems impossible that it’s springtime
(especially if you live in the frozen tundra known as Northeast like I do),
warm weather will eventually find us, and with it the re-emergence of grass, flowers,
birds and especially BUGS!

But the mosquitos, ants, bees and flies we’ll be battling
soon are just a drop in the bucket compared to the bugs that you’re dealing
with right now…inside of you.

While the thought of them makes a lot of people squeamish or
uncomfortable, the fact is, your body is home to trillions of
microscopic little “bugs.”

I'm referring to parasites.

Let's take a closer look at these creepy crawlers which pack
quite a punch for their small size and see what they may be stirring up inside
of you.

The good, the bad and
the creepy

Parasites are organisms that invade and live at the expense
of another organism called the "host," using their host as both a home
and a source of nourishment.

Scientific sources have identified over 3,200 varieties of
parasites, broken down into 3 major types.
But contrary to what you might think, they're not all bad
guys.

The first type is symbiotic. These are the friendly bacteria that populate
your intestinal tract. They are supposed
to be there and they actually enhance your health.

Then there are commensal organisms. Commensals have a "roommate"
relationship with you--they reside in your intestines and while they don't HELP
you in any way, they also don't HURT you.

And alas, the third kind is the "true" parasite—the
variety that people typically think of when they hear the word “parasite.” Their presence ALWAYS has a harmful effect on
your health.

Problem is, they don't nudge you and say, "Hey--we're here!" So people (maybe even you) may be suffering
ill health effects from them and don't even know it.

Here are some examples of what be going on in your innards.

Nature calls for them
too

As a human, you live, you eat and you have "by-products"--namely, your tears,
sweat, saliva, exhaled carbon dioxide, urine and feces.

Well, the same applies to anything that's alive in
you. It too lives, eats and has
by-products (wastes).

And when you're talking about bad parasites, their waste
products can be downright toxic to
you.

For example, the waste products (also known as endotoxins) created by harmful parasites
can sap energy in your intestinal cells and activate inflammation. They can also contribute to autoimmunity or
hyperimmunity.

Now, some people have the mistaken impression that parasites
only live in your intestinal tract.

Not so. Not even close.

There are a number of parasites that live in your blood or
lymphatic system.

They can nestle into any of your vital organs or burrow
themselves into your body's tissues.

Many parasites start in your intestines, but if you have a leaky
gut wall, they easily can get into your bloodstream and sail smoothly
throughout your body to wreak their havoc.

Others attack your organs first. For example, hook worms enter your body
through the skin, travel through your blood and then latch on to your lungs.

How in the world?

One of the most common ways for parasites to make you their
home is when you ingest them with contaminated food or water.

That's the humor behind the saying, "Don't drink the water!" when
someone is traveling to a remote country.

But there are other ways to contract parasites you might not
even think of, and they include:

·Contaminated water from lakes, rivers, streams
and wells

·Tap water

·Ice made from contaminated water (many people
are careful about the water they drink, but then forget about the ice!)

·Swimming pool water, especially public pools
that may be contaminated with feces

·Pets, especially those that live outdoors

·Raw and undercooked foods, especially shellfish

·Lack of proper hand washing

·Sexual contact

·World-wide travel. Note that YOU don't have to be the worldly
traveler here. Even if you board an
airplane that's been overseas, it could be contaminated with parasites that
find you an attractive abode.

One small creepy-crawly,
one GIANT bunch of symptoms

Since parasites can get into your bloodstream and go
virtually anywhere inside of you, there is a HUGE variety of symptoms
that they can stir up that you might not ever suspect is being caused by an
itty-bitty microscopic being.

These can include:

·Bloating no matter what you eat

·Allergy symptoms, sinus congestion

·Diarrhea and constipation

·Abdominal pain, cramps

·Mucus in your stools

·Food cravings, especially for sugar

·Fatigue

·Skin itching, especially around the anal area

·Acne, hives, skin rashes

·Dark circles under your eyes, bluish tint around
your lips

·Depression, anxiety, nervousness, moodiness

·Insomnia

·Loss of appetite or insatiable appetite

·Joint or muscle aches or pains

·Vertigo, disorientation, ringing of the ears

·Hyperactivity, restlessness

Note that the type and degree of symptoms you could
experience, as well as whether or not a parasite will invade you to begin with,
is largely dependent on the strength of your immune system.

When it's healthy and working as it should, your immune
system engulfs and eliminates many parasites.
And even if one does happen to sneak by, it will likely lie dormant in
the face of a strong immune system.

In addition, the hydrochloric
acid in your stomach and the pH in
your intestines also help to protect you.
Your stomach acid kills many of the unwelcome guests you take in with
your food or drink, and having the proper acidic pH in your colon is an unfit
environment for many invaders.

Get it out of me!

Now that I've probably got you sufficiently creeped out, I'll
tell you what you can actually DO if you suspect that you have some dangerous
parasites taking up residence inside of you.

First of all, there are tests that a doctor can run to
detect many parasites, but this can be tricky.

If a test is done when a parasite is just in its "egg
cycle" and hasn't hatched yet, it might not be detected.

And if only stool tests are done yet a parasite is living
somewhere else in you besides the
intestinal tract, it could be missed.

Now, parasitic infections are commonly treated with antibiotics, but this can make the
situation worse--not better.

You see, although antibiotics can kill the invader, they
also destroy your friendly flora, which houses 70 percent of your immune
system. So after a course of
antibiotics, chances are excellent that your immune system is compromised and
therefore you are even MORE susceptible to parasitic infection.

Plus many parasites have gotten smart. When they sense the presence of antibiotics,
they can burrow themselves deeper into your tissues and "hide," then
re-emerge once you stop taking the medication.

A three-step approach

The best protection against parasites is using a smart
three-step approach:

1- Change the external environment

First and foremost, it's important to avoid the sources of
parasites that I mentioned above.

For example, when you travel only drink bottled water and wash your hands often.

Have your pets tested for parasites by a veterinarian
regularly and properly treat them.

Have your tap watertested
too, and consider filtration of some kind.
It may be costly, but the health benefits it will provide will far
outweigh the cost for you and your loved ones.

And if you're a sushi lover, be sure to eat it only in a
high-quality restaurant and/or stick to cooked or vegetarian varieties.

2- Change the internal environment

This involves supporting your two primary "lines of
defense" against parasites--your digestive and immune systems.

Part one is nourishing your body with a healthy diet and
encouraging good digestion.

Here's why that has such a profound effect on
fighting parasites:

Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found in healthy real
foods can help fight the damage to your body caused by parasitic infections.

And many of the phytochemicals found in fruits and
vegetables have been shown to have immune-enhancing properties and are potent
antioxidants as well.

In addition, when you structure your meals to make them
easier for your system to carry out the digestive process, this can help your
body eliminate built-up toxic wastes more efficiently and maintain the proper
pH environment in your intestines.

So you're a much less attractive home to parasites and can
make it difficult for them to thrive!

The great news is, having this ever-important healthy diet
is not only easy, but it tastes good too.

Great Taste No Pain will show you how to create healthful,
nutritious meals that are not only positively delicious, but can be much easier
for your system to break down.

When your digestion is accomplished easily and thoroughly,
not only will you be helping to eliminate toxic waste build-up (from you and
your parasites), but you'll also help maximize your body's absorption of
immune-enhancing nutrients from your foods.

Part two is further strengthening your immune system with
"good symbiotic parasites"--otherwise known as probiotics!

Since the vast majority of your immune system lies in the
beneficial bacteria in your gut, it's essential to make sure yours are healthy
and in the proper balance.

In addition to a healthy diet like I mentioned above which
feeds your friendly flora, probiotic supplementation can help you achieve this
important, health-saving goal.

Super Shield's13
strains of friendly bacteria are up to the task, ready to line your intestinal
walls and help make them less porous (so parasites are less likely to
"leak out"), help keep your digestion smooth and be on the lookout
for "suspicious invaders."

3- Elimination

Although antibiotics are commonly recommended for
eliminating parasites, as I mentioned above they can do more harm than good.

Here are other natural, safer measures you can consider
taking:

Foods such as garlic, leeks, onions, radishes and cabbage have been known to have anti-parasitic properties.

Herbs like chaparral, black walnut, rhubarb root and wormwood have been shown to be helpful. These are available at many health food stores.

In addition, there are a number of companies that have created formulas for the elimination of parasites. One that has been shown to be very effective for many people is "Para-Gard with Goldenseal" by Integrative Therapeutics.

Remember, parasites are sneaky
and can challenge your health in so many ways.

But by being diligent about prevention, strengthening your
body from within and safely eliminating them, you can help make sure parasites
and their health-wrecking abilities stay far away from YOU!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

PS: Always be sure to let your doctor or healthcare provider know what supplements you are taking.